Methods of making a resilient contact apparatus and resilient contact probes

ABSTRACT

Carriers comprising a carrier body having a plurality of openings holding a plurality of resilient contact probes are disclosed. A number of different embodiments for the resilient contact probes are also disclosed. The carriers of the present invention may be secured to an interface board (i.e., a printed circuit board (PCB)) and assembled with a substrate (e.g., a wafer having integrated circuitry thereon, a PCB, etc.). The resilient contact probes electrically contact the terminal pads of the interface board and the electrical contacts of the substrate to enable electrical testing of the substrate. The configuration of the resilient contact probes, in combination with the carrier body, enables preferential, high mechanical loading of the terminal pads with controlled, predictable loading of the electrical contacts. Methods of making and use are also disclosed, as are a plurality of embodiments of resilient contact probes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/834,526,filed Apr. 28, 2004, pending.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to testing of electrical devicessuch as, semiconductor devices and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a carrier for holdingresilient contact probes, various resilient contact probes, and relatedassemblies that may be used to perform wafer-level burn-in and testingof components on semiconductor wafers or other electrical devices.

2. State of the Art

It is advantageous in semiconductor processing to detect and screen outdefective integrated circuits (ICs) as early as possible in thefabrication process. Many completed ICs fail within the first few monthsor weeks of use due to processing defects. Such a defect profile iscommonly known as “infant mortality” and is clearly very undesirable andunacceptable for a customer purchasing an IC for use with othercomponents in higher level packaging. To discover those circuits thatare susceptible to infant mortality, IC fabrication processesconventionally include high temperature and cyclical temperature testingof ICs for extended periods of time before shipping products to acustomer.

In a typical semiconductor fabrication process, a multiplicity ofidentical integrated circuits is formed as individual semiconductor diceon a semiconductor wafer or other bulk semiconductor substrate. Such amultiplicity of integrated circuits may number in the hundreds, or eventhousands (such as in a 300 mm wafer) of individual semiconductor dicewhich are generally repeated across the wafer in a two-dimensionalarray. Once the integrated circuits are fabricated at semiconductor dielocations on a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor dice are thentested to determine which dice are at least nominally functional withsuch a determination performed, generally, by probe testing each dieindividually. The probing of individual semiconductor dice may beperformed using probe equipment while the dice are still in wafer form.Currently, expensive probe equipment contacts each bond pad on anindividual die with a separate probe. A typical probe test requires thateach die be probed in order to determine the correct and acceptablefunctionality of each die.

Upon the identification of functional and nonfunctional semiconductordice, the dice are then separated or singulated from the semiconductorwafer by way of a conventional dicing process, such as by using a wafersaw. Following singulation, functional dice may be packaged intoseparate integrated circuit packages or may undergo further processingprior to assembly with other dice and components in a higher-levelassembly, which itself may be packaged. Once the semiconductor dice havebeen packaged or prepared for packaging within a higher level assembly,more thorough electrical testing is performed to determine whether eachpackaged integrated circuit properly performs the functionality forwhich it was designed. Upon successful package testing, integratedcircuits may be sold or integrated into higher assemblies.

One system for testing individual dice is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,791,914 to Loranger et al. (hereinafter “the '914 Loranger Patent”).The '914 Loranger Patent discloses a socket-based electrical contactor.The socket based electrical contactor employs a two piece system forcaptivating a plurality of compression springs. A guide plate and asocket body captivates the plurality of compression springs that providean electrical connection between a PCB and a semiconductor die to betested.

While the socket-based electrical contactor of the '914 Loranger Patentenables the electrical testing of a semiconductor die, it suffers fromseveral problems. For instance, the compression springs used to providethe electrical connection between the semiconductor die and the PCBexhibit very little lateral stability, resulting in inaccuracy whenattempting to contact the terminal pads of the PCB and the bond pads ofthe semiconductor die. Furthermore, the same load is applied to theterminal pads of the PCB and the bond pads of the semiconductor die,which may result in a poor electrical connection therebetween. This isbecause the PCB, typically an interface test board, often hascontaminated terminal pads with films and other contaminants thereonpreventing a reliable electrical connection. Also, a two piece system isused to captivate the compression springs, adding additional parts andincreasing cost and assembly time to the electrical contactor.Additionally, the socket based contactor is designed to test onlyindividual semiconductor dice.

Multi-piece plate fixtures have been developed that hold spring contactsfor testing circuit boards. For instance U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,835 toKocher et al. discloses such a fixture. U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,835 toKocher et al. also purports to disclose employing a retainer sheet madeof a rubber material such as latex, or a fine-mesh nylon material, whichfunctions to hold the test probes in place in the assembled fixture.

Accordingly, there is a need for a system to test electrical devicessuch as, integrated circuits and PCBs that employs resilient contactprobes that have improved lateral stability and accuracy. Additionally,there is a need to enable mechanical loading of the terminal pads of theprinted circuit board of the test apparatus and the electrical contactsof the electrical device tested to different levels or degrees toprovide a reliable electrical connection therebetween. Furthermore,there is a need for a system to captivate resilient contact probes thatis less costly and has fewer parts, making fabrication thereof lessproblematic. It is also desirable to be able to test an entire wafer inthe test system as opposed to only individual semiconductor dice.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in a number of embodiments, includes carriersholding resilient contact probes, a variety of exemplary embodiments ofthe resilient contact probes, associated assemblies of carriers, probesand other components, and methods of using and making the resilientcontact probes, carriers and assemblies. The present invention isparticularly useful for the electrical testing of wafers havingintegrated circuits thereon (e.g., in wafer scale burn-in testing) andother electrical devices (e.g., printed circuit boards (PCBs)).

In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for making atemporary electrical connection with at least one electrical device isdisclosed. The apparatus comprises a carrier body extendingsubstantially in a plane and having a first surface, an opposing secondsurface, and a plurality of openings extending through the carrier bodytherebetween. The carrier body may comprise a unitary body. Resilientcontact probes may be disposed within respective openings of the carrierbody. An end region of each of the resilient contact probes may have alateral dimension greater than a lateral dimension of at least anadjacent portion of the opening that the resilient contact probe isreceived within. The end region of each of the resilient contact probesinterferes with the abutting first surface of the carrier body uponattempted longitudinal movement of the resilient carrier probe in atleast one direction so that the resilient contact probes are retained bythe carrier body. The first surface of the carrier body may be coveredwith a compliant layer of a resilient, nonconductive material havingapertures therethrough aligned with the openings, the apertures being oflesser lateral extent than a lateral extent of a portion of theresilient contact probe body passing therethrough, to secure theresilient contact probes in place on the carrier body during handling.

In accordance with the present invention, the carrier body may besecured to an interface board having a contact surface including aplurality of terminal pads thereon so that the contact surface faces thefirst surface of the carrier body and the end regions of the resilientcontact probes are aligned, and in contact with the terminal pads, andare clamped between the carrier body and interface board, the optionalcompliant layer serving in this situation to compensate for nonplanarityof the first surface of the carrier body. A substrate, such as asemiconductor substrate or a PCB to be tested having a surface includinga plurality of electrical contacts thereon, may then be placed over thecarrier body so that the active surface faces the second surface of thecarrier body. The design of the resilient contact probes, which arecarried by the carrier body, and ends thereof remote from the secondsurface clamped between the first surface and the interface board,enables the substrate to be urged toward the interface board with thesubstrate and the carrier body bearing the resilient contact probesdisposed therebetween with the end regions of the resilient contactprobes highly and preferentially mechanically loading the respectiveterminal pads of the interface board by being clamped thereagainst whilethe electrical contacts of the substrate are precisely contacted andloaded by contact tips at the opposing ends of the resilient contactprobes in a lesser, controlled manner due to selected longitudinalresiliency of the contact probe structure between the end regions andcontact tips and lateral constraint of the contact tips to create areliable electrical connection therebetween. Electrical testing of thesubstrate, such as burn-in testing, may then be performed as desired byapplying electrical test signals from test equipment to the substratethrough the interface board.

In another aspect of the present invention, various exemplaryconfigurations for the resilient contact probes are disclosed. In anexemplary embodiment, a resilient contact probe includes a first endregion, a second end region, and an intermediate region therebetween.The intermediate region comprises a compression spring having an active,longitudinally compressible portion. At least a portion of the first endregion includes a lateral dimension greater than a diameter of theactive, longitudinally compressible portion.

In another exemplary embodiment for the resilient contact probes, thefirst end region includes at least one coil having a lateral dimensiongreater than the diameter of the active, longitudinally compressibleportion.

In another exemplary embodiment for the resilient contact probes, thecompression spring comprises a dead, substantially incompressibleportion within the intermediate region and proximate the second endregion.

In yet another exemplary embodiment for the resilient contact probes, ahousing may at least partially enclose the compression spring and may besecured to a portion thereof adjacent the first end region. A plungerbody, having a stopper portion and a contact tip portion, isdisplaceable inside one end of the hollow interior of the housing. Thestopper portion may be received within the housing and restrict theextent that the contact tip portion may extend longitudinally beyond thehousing. The plunger body is longitudinally biased by a portion of thecompression spring bearing against the stopper portion. In anotherexemplary embodiment, an end cap may be secured to an end of the housingproximate the first end region. In another exemplary embodiment, anannular ring may extend peripherally about the housing and be secured toan outer surface thereof proximate the first end region. In anotherexemplary embodiment, the first end region comprises at least one coilhaving a lateral extent greater than the diameter of the housing andlocated outside thereof.

Numerous features, advantages, and alternative aspects of the presentinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from aconsideration of the following detailed description taken in combinationwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which illustrate what is currently considered to be thebest mode for carrying out the invention:

FIG. 1A is a schematic sectional view of an exemplary test assemblyincluding a carrier and resilient contact probes of the presentinvention in a configuration preliminary to testing of a semiconductorwafer disposed therein.

FIG. 1B is a perspective illustration of a partial assembly of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of an exemplary carrier for carrying a pluralityof resilient contact probes according to the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken of section A-A of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a sectional view of a carrier including a compliant layer onone side thereof.

FIGS. 3A through 3C illustrate an exemplary resilient contact probe ofthe present invention that may be employed in conjunction with thecarrier of FIGS. 2A-2C.

FIGS. 4A through 4C illustrate another exemplary resilient contact probeof the present invention that may be employed in conjunction with thecarrier of FIGS. 2A-2C.

FIGS. 5A through 5D illustrate another exemplary resilient contact probeof the present invention that may be employed in conjunction with thecarrier of FIGS. 2A-2C.

FIGS. 6A through 6D illustrate another exemplary resilient contact probeof the present invention that may be employed in conjunction with thecarrier of FIGS. 2A-2C.

FIGS. 7A through 7D illustrate yet another exemplary resilient contactprobe of the present invention that may be employed in conjunction withthe carrier of FIGS. 2A-2C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in a number of embodiments, includes carriers forholding resilient contact probes, a variety of exemplary embodiments ofresilient contact probes, and associated assemblies thereof. The presentinvention is particularly useful for the electrical testing of wafershaving integrated circuits thereon (e.g., as wafer burn-in testing) andother electrical devices (e.g., printed circuit boards (PCBs)). In thedetailed description which follows, like features and elements in theseveral embodiments are identified in the drawings with the same orsimilar reference numerals for the convenience of the reader.

A brief description of an exemplary overall assembly of the electricaldevice test apparatus of the present invention will be discussed withreference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. A more detailed description of selectedindividual components of the assembly will follow with reference toFIGS. 2A-2C, 3A-3C, 4A-4C, 5A-5D, 6A-6D, and 7A-7D. Although thedetailed description of the electrical device test apparatus of thepresent invention is described with respect to testing semiconductorwafers, the electrical device test apparatus is suitable and easilyconfigurable for testing any electrical device. For example, PCBs may betested instead of semiconductor wafers employing the electrical devicetest apparatus of the present invention. The electrical device testapparatus of the present invention may accommodate a variety ofdifferent electrical contacts on a substrate such as, for example,terminal pads or ribbon cables on a surface of a PCB that are eachrespectively contacted by a resilient contact probe to create atemporary electrical connection.

Referring to FIG. 1A, assembly 134 is formed by inserting a plurality ofresilient contact probes 112 into a like plurality of through holes 106of a carrier 100 including carrier body 102. The carrier body 102 isdepicted carrying a plurality of spacers 114 to provide a predeterminedstandoff distance between the carrier body 102 and a semiconductor wafer118 to be tested. Spacers 114, which may be formed of, for example, asolder mask material, metal or plastic, are placed to coincide withareas of the semiconductor wafer 118 on which integrated circuits arenot located, such as about the periphery of the wafer 118 and atboundaries or “streets” between semiconductor die locations on wafer118. The semiconductor wafer 118 may be, without limitation, a bulksemiconductor substrate (e.g., a full or partial conventional wafer ofsemiconductor material, such as silicon, gallium arsenide, indiumphosphide, or a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) type substrate, such assilicon-on-ceramic (SOC), silicon-on-glass (SOG), or silicon-on-sapphire(SOS), etc.) that includes a plurality of semiconductor dice thereon,and as used herein, the term “wafer” encompasses any and all of theforegoing structures.

With continued reference to FIG. 1A, the resilient contact probes 112are inserted from the interface board side 110 of carrier body 102 toextend therethrough to a wafer side 108 thereof. Interface board contactend regions 113 of the resilient contact probes 112 may have portions ofa lateral dimension, such as a diameter, larger than the diameters ofportions of the through holes 106 adjacent to interface board side 110of carrier body 102 and, thus, may be retained on the surface of theinterface board side 110 of carrier body 102 when the resilient contactprobes 112 are placed into through holes 106. Preferably, the resilientcontact probes 112 are not preloaded to help prevent distortion of thecarrier 100. Thus, when the resilient contact probes 112 are notpreloaded, the carrier 100 and the resilient contact probes 112 istermed a “zero force system” in a neutral condition. The interface board124 may then be placed over with the carrier body 102 by aligning theassembly holes 104 of the carrier body 102 with the assembly holes 105in the interface board 124 and the two structures may then be fixedtogether with fastening elements 128, such as bolts, screws or othersuitable fasteners. Some clearance to accommodate the laterally enlargedportions of interface board contact end regions 113 may be allowedbetween carrier body 102 and interface board 124, such as, for example,100 μm. The clearance may be provided with shims or washers placed aboutfastening elements extending between carrier body 102 and interfaceboard 124. Once the carrier body 102 and the interface board 124 arefixed together, the resilient contact probes 112 are thus capturedtherebetween. In other words, the presence of interface board contactend region 113 of each resilient contact probe 112 prevents theresilient contact probe 112 from being able to pass through itsassociated through hole 106 from the interface board side 110 to thewafer side 108 of carrier body 102 and the presence of the underlyinginterface board 124 prevents the resilient contact probe 112 from beingable to fall out of carrier body 102 from the other direction. Thus, theinterface board contact end region 113 of each resilient contact probeis firmly disposed between interface board side 110 of carrier body 102and interface board 124.

With continued reference to FIG. 1A, the semiconductor wafer 118 isplaced on the wafer side 108 of the carrier body 102 such that bond pads120 thereof are aligned with the resilient contact probes 112. Alignmentmay be performed using commercially available machine vision systemsthat have a “look down and up” capability to view both the bond pads 120of the wafer 118 and the individual resilient contact probes 112 on thewafer side 108 of the carrier body 102. A resilient, annular (in thecase of a conventional wafer test) seal element 116, such as an O-ring,is placed around the wafer 118 and the carrier body 102. It is notedthat if a PCB is to be tested, instead of the conventional wafer 118shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the seal element 116 may have a differentgeometry. Instead of having an annular shape, the seal element 116 mayhave any suitable shape that generally surrounds the PCB to be testedand the carrier body 102. A chuck 122 may be placed over the seal 116and the wafer 118 to bear against the edge of the resilient, annularseal element 116 and a back side of the wafer 118. A partial vacuum isthen applied through vacuum port 132 of the chuck 122, the resilient,annular seal element 116 providing a seal between the interface board124 and the chuck 122 to create a sealed chamber in interior region 117containing semiconductor wafer 118 and carrier body 102 bearingresilient contact probes 112. The area of the interface board 124contacted by the resilient, annular seal element 116 may be coated witha layer of metal (not shown) to provide a smooth contact surface for theadjacent edge of the resilient, annular seal element 116. The partialvacuum pulls the chuck 122 of the assembly 134 toward the interfaceboard 124, causing the respective ends of the individual resilientcontact probes 112 to contact the bond pads 120 of the wafer 118, theterminal pads 126 of the interface board 124 already being in contactwith resilient contact probes 112. A sequence of electrical test signalsmay then be applied by conventional test equipment to the interfaceboard 124 and communicated to the wafer 118 by the resilient contactprobes 112.

The mechanical load (force) applied to the terminal pads 126 of theinterface board 124 through the resilient contact probe 112 isproportional to the applied vacuum and may be of, for example, amagnitude of about 800 psi. When the vacuum is applied, the chuck 122,through wafer 118, spacers 114 and carrier body 102, may urge theinterface board contact end regions 113 of the resilient contact probes112 against the terminal pads 126 of the interface board 124 withadditional force. Thus, very high loads (i.e., a high energy interface)may be applied to the terminal pads 126 of the interface board 124 bythe end regions 113 of the resilient contact probes 112 through theapplication of the vacuum, enabling a reliable electrical connectiontherebetween. Since the interface board 124 is subjected to repeateduse, the terminal pads 126 are often deformed or covered with debris,contamination, or films (e.g., an oxide film). The high applied loadsimposed on the carrier body cause the end regions 113 of resilientcontact probes 112 to break through any debris, contamination, or films(e.g., an oxide film) present on the terminal pads 126 that wouldordinarily prevent a reliable electrical connection therebetween. Incontrast, the bond pads 120 of the wafer 118 are isolated from thisloading due to the presence of spacers 114 and, instead are loaded to asignificantly lesser degree by the contact tips of their associatedresilient contact probes 112. It is unnecessary to apply as high a loadto the relatively pristine surfaces of the bond pads 120 of the recentlyfabricated semiconductor wafer 118 and, in addition, such high loadingmay damage the relatively fragile bond pads 120 as well as theunderlying circuitry. The load applied to the bond pads 120 of the wafer118 is proportional to the internal spring constant of the resilientcontact probe 112 (i.e., the amount of deflection of the compressionspring of the resilient contact probe 112 upon application of thepartial vacuum).

A perspective illustration of a portion of the assembly 134 is depictedin FIG. 1B. FIG. 1B illustrates the carrier 100 disposed on the activesurface of the interface board 124 having terminal pads 126 (not shown,under carrier 100). The resilient, annular seal element 116 surroundsthe carrier 100 and rests on the contact surface of the interface board124. The chuck 122, dimensioned to cover the carrier 100 and surroundingresilient, annular seal element 116, is shown removed from the assembly134 and to one side thereof. Although not shown in FIG. 1B, in operationof assembly 134, the wafer 118 fits within the interior region 117defined by the resilient, annular seal element 116 and is covered by thechuck 122, as more clearly depicted in FIG. 1A.

The structure of carrier 100 for holding the plurality of resilientcontact probes 112 will be discussed in more detail with reference toFIGS. 2A-2C. The carrier 100 of the present invention may comprise asingle piece carrier that holds the plurality of resilient contactprobes 112, making it relatively inexpensive and simple to fabricate. InFIG. 2A, the carrier 100 (i.e., a “keeper”) is shown to comprise a onepiece carrier body 102 including a plurality of through holes 106 forreceiving resilient contact probes 112 therein, and a plurality ofassembly holes 104 for use in securing carrier body 102 to interfaceboard 124. A single piece carrier body 102 prevents problems withregistration, alignment, or concentricity of through holes in thecarrier body 102 that would occur if the carrier body 102 was formedfrom multiple plates. The carrier body 102 may be formed from anyorganic, ceramic, or glass material that may be drilled to form throughholes 106 and assembly holes 108. Silicon may be used for the materialof the carrier body 102. However, if silicon is used for the material ofthe carrier body 102, the surfaces thereof including the interior ofthrough holes 106 would need to be passivated as known in the art (suchas by, for example, silicon nitride) to prevent current leakage from theresilient contact probes 112. Through holes 106 of the plurality arespaced apart and arranged so as to correspond to the locations of thebond pads 120 on the wafer 118 and the terminal pads 126 of theinterface board 124 to be mated to the carrier 100. For example, anexemplary number of through holes 106 and corresponding resilientcontact probes 112 may be about 11,890 to correspond to the number ofbond pads 120 on the active surface of an eight inch wafer 118. Theplurality of assembly holes 104 that may be used to secure the carrier100 to the interface board 124 are spaced apart circumferentially alongthe perimeter of the carrier body 102. Although not shown, additionalholes may be spaced apart circumferentially along the perimeter of thecarrier body 102 to allow for strain accommodation due to a mismatch ofcoefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) among the components of assembly134 when the carrier body 102 is fixed to an interface board 124 in anassembly and is heated to an elevated temperature, such as during waferburn-in. Also, additional holes (partial or through holes) may beselectively located in the interior of the carrier body 102 between someof the through holes 106 to enable aligning test fixtures forselectively testing specific resilient contact probes 112.

In FIG. 2B, a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2A is shown.FIG. 2B illustrates a sectional view of the carrier body 102 having awafer side 108 that will abut the wafer 118. Interface board side 110 isthe side of the carrier 100 that will abut the interface board 124. FIG.2B depicts an exemplary geometry for the through holes 106 and theassembly holes 104. The through holes 106 are configured to receive theresilient contact-probes 112 and may each include a countersink portion106A and an elongated portion 106B. Similarly, the assembly holes 104are configured to receive a fastening element, such as a bolt, screw orother suitable fastener therethrough, and may include a countersinkportion 104A to accommodate a head of the fastening element and anelongated portion 104B to accommodate a shaft thereof. The carrier 100of the present invention may carry spacers 114 (shown in FIG. 1A) on thesurface of the wafer side 108 to provide a predetermined amount ofstandoff between the wafer 118 and the surface of the wafer side 108 asdepicted in FIG. 1A while transmitting force therethrough from chuck 122and wafer 118 to carrier body 102. The spacers 114 may be formed, asnoted above, by applying a solder mask material. The spacers 114 mayalso be formed by blanket electroplating or electroless deposition of ametal, such as copper or a copper alloy, followed by masking and etchingto define the dimensions of the spacers 114 employing conventionalphotolithography techniques, or by selective deposition of metal througha patterned mask. The spacers 114 may also be formed by blanketdeposition of a plastic material followed by patterning, or selectivedeposition thereof.

Referring to FIG. 2C, in another exemplary embodiment, the carrier body102 may include a compliant layer 130 coating the interface board side110 thereof to retain the resilient contact probes 112 duringfabrication and handling. The use of compliant layer 130 may alsoalleviate planarity problems with the surface of the interface boardside 110 of carrier body 102 when carrier body 102 is disposed on thecontact surface of interface board 124. A representative thickness forthe compliant layer 130 maybe about 0.010 inch. In FIG. 2C, the carrierbody 102 is depicted with the spacers 114 on the surface of the waferside 108 to provide a predetermined amount of standoff between the wafer118 and the surface of the wafer side 108 of carrier body 102. Thecompliant layer 130 has apertures 111 therethrough of smaller diameteror lateral extent than a lateral extent of resilient contact probes 112and, thus secures the resilient contact probes 112 extendingtherethrough by a resilient interference fit therewith to retain them onthe carrier body 102. As shown in FIG. 2C, the compliant layer 130 mayextend over a portion of the countersink portion 106A of a through hole106. The presence of compliant layer 130 also alleviates any problemwith the interface board side 110 being nonplanar by deforming whenassembled with the other components of assembly 134 and when the vacuumis applied to compress all of the components of assembly 134 together.Compliant layer 130 may be formed of any suitable, nonconductivematerial including, without limitation, silicone-based elastomers andfluorocarbon polymers. It is preferred that the compliant layer 130 bestable to temperatures up to 150° C. that may occur during wafertesting, and specifically during burn-in.

With continued reference to FIG. 2C, the compliant layer 130 maybeformed by spraying the compliant layer 130 on the interface board side110 of the carrier body 102, followed by drilling the plurality ofthrough holes 106. In such an instance, there will be no countersinkportions 106A of through holes 106. The resilient contact probes 112 arethen inserted into the through holes 106. The carrier 100 including thecompliant layer 130 and the resilient contact probes 112 is heated to anelevated temperature sufficient to cause the compliant layer 130 tolaterally expand over and toward the centers of the through holes 106 tobear against the resilient contact probes 112. Thus, resilient contactprobes 112 may be retained on the carrier body 102 during handling andprior to assembly with interface board 124 by the compliant layer 130laterally bearing against them. The compliant layer 130 may also beformed by first drilling the through holes 106 in the carrier body 102(with countersink portions 106A, as desired) followed by spraying thecompliant layer 130 on the interface board side 110 of the carrier body102 or, preferably, adhesively bonding a preformed film comprisingcompliant layer 130 over the interface board side 110. Holes may then bepunched in the compliant layer 130 that are aligned with, and have anundersized diameter with respect to, the countersink portions 106A ofthrough holes 106. Thus, the compliant layer 130 may laterally extendover portions of through holes 106 and may bear against resilientcontact probes 112 therein to retain them on the carrier body 102.Alternatively, upon heating, the compliant layer 130 may laterallyextend toward the center of the through holes (shown by the dashed line)to bear against the resilient contact probe 112 therein. Countersinkportions 106A may also provide clearance for longitudinal deflection ofend regions 113 of resilient contact probes 112 thereinto when carrierbody 102 is assembled with interface board 124.

A number of different configurations may be used for the resilientcontact probes 112 that are received by the plurality of through holes106 in the carrier body 102. Various exemplary configurations forresilient contact probes 112 are labeled as resilient contact probes112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, and 112E, shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, 4A-4C, 5A-5D,6A-6D, and 7A-7D, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 3A, an exemplary configuration for resilient contactprobe 112A is shown. Resilient contact probe 112A includes four regions:an interface board contact end region 113, an active region 203, a deadregion 202, and a wafer contact end region 204, active region 203 anddead region 202 being located in an intermediate region of resilientcontact probe 112A between interface board contact end region 113 andwafer contact end region 204. The interface board contact end region 113includes a contact tip 208 formed as a “pigtail” of a plurality of coilsof decreasing diameter that is configured to bear against the terminalpads 126 of the interface board 124 upon assembly with the interfaceboard 124 and application of the partial vacuum, as more fully describedwith reference to FIG. 1A. A top view of the interface board contact endregion 113 is shown in FIG. 3B. Two tightly wound coils 205 of theinterface board contact end region 113 have an outer diameter (D₂) sizedlarger than the diameter of the through hole 106 of the carrier body 102so that, upon insertion into the through hole 106, the resilient contactprobe 112A is retained by the interface board side 110 of the carrierbody 102. Thus, a surface 203 of the two tightly wound coils 205 abutsthe interface board side 110 of carrier body 102 upon assemblytherewith. The “pigtail” type geometry of the contact tip 208 ofinterface board contact end region 113 not only provides some complianceand concentrates force on the adjacent terminal pad 126 with which it isaligned, but also enables accurate targeting of the terminal pads 126and prevents step-offs or shorting due to inadvertently contacting alaterally adjacent bond pad 126. The majority of the length of theresilient contact probe 112A comprises a compression spring 212 having alongitudinally compressible active region 203 comprising a plurality ofcoils of a diameter (D₁) and a pitch (P). Preferably, the compressionspring 212 is not preloaded to help prevent distortion of the carrier100. The compression spring 212 also includes a substantiallylongitudinally incompressible dead region 202 comprising a plurality ofabutting coils that does not significantly contribute to the motiveforce of the compression spring 212. The dead region 202 increases thelateral stability of the resilient contact probe 112A within throughhole 106 receiving same so that the contact tip 210 is not easilydisplaced during contacting of the wafer 118 from a lateral forceagainst the contact tip 210. The length of the dead region 202 may be atleast the same as the diameter of the elongated portion 106B of thethrough hole 106, and preferably greater. Thus, the presence of deadregion 202 improves the positional accuracy of the contact tip 210 forcontacting the bond pads 120 of the wafer 118. If a lateral force isapplied to the contact tip 210, the dead region 202 contacts the sidewall of the elongated portion 106B, preventing lateral motion of contacttip 210. The wafer contact end region 204 is defined by a length (L₃)and includes the contact tip 210 having a diameter (d) suitably sizedand configured to contact the bond pads 120 of the wafer 118 uponassembly with wafer 118 and application of the partial vacuum as morefully described with reference to FIG. 1A. The contact tip 210 may havea variety of different geometries and is shown having a sharpened tipwith an end surface lying at an angle θ relative to the center line ofthe resilient contact probe 112A. A top view of the wafer contact endregion 204 is depicted in FIG. 3C.

By way of example, the compression spring 212 may be formed from acopper-beryllium alloy wire to have a spring rate of about 1.65 lbs perinch. Copper-beryllium is desirable as it exhibits a low bulkresistance. Such wire is commercially available from Brush Wellman andNGK. Stainless steel wire or music wire may also be used, but are lesspreferable as exhibiting a higher bulk resistance. The compressionspring 212 may also be coated with 20 to 50 micro inches of cobalthardened gold on top of a coating of 50 micro inches of nickel toincrease the electrical conductivity thereof. Representative dimensionsfor the resilient contact probe 112A illustrated in FIG. 3A areL₁=133.00 mils, P=4.62, L₂=20.00 mils, L₃=7.0 mils, D₁=16.00 mils,D₂=21.00 mils, θ=45°, and d=3.10 mils. It is notable that a wire-onlydesign for resilient contact probes 112 may be used to reduce pitch(spacing) between adjacent probes from current 0.4 mm pitch to 0.3 mm oreven smaller.

Referring to FIG. 4A, an exemplary configuration for resilient contactprobe 112B is shown. Resilient contact probe 112B is substantiallyidentical to the resilient contact probe 112A except that thecompression spring 212 lacks the dead region 202 as part of theintermediate region. The interface board contact end region 113 includesa contact tip 208 that is configured to contact the terminal pads 126 ofthe interface board 124 upon assembly with the interface board 124 andapplication of the partial vacuum as more fully described with referenceto FIG. 1A. A top view of the interface board contact end region 113 isshown in FIG. 4B. The outer diameter (D₂) of the interface board contactend region 113 is sized larger than the diameter of the through hole 106of the carrier body 102 so that upon insertion into the through hole106, the resilient contact probe 112B is retained by the interface boardside 110 of the carrier body 102. In FIG. 4A, the interface boardcontact end region 113 is shown having two tightly wound coils 205 of adiameter (D₂) and serves to retain the resilient contact probe 112B uponinsertion into the through hole 106. Thus, a surface 207 of the twotightly wound coils 205 abuts the interface board side 110. The majorityof the length of the resilient contact probe 112B comprises acompression spring 212 having a diameter (D₁) and a pitch (P).Preferably, the compression spring 212 is not preloaded to help preventdistortion of the carrier 100. The wafer contact end region 204 isdefined by a length (L₃) and includes a contact tip 210 having adiameter (d) that is configured to contact the bond pads 120 of thewafer 118 upon assembly with the wafer 118 and application of thepartial vacuum as more fully described with reference to FIG. 1A. Thecontact tip 210 may have a variety of different geometries and is shownhaving a sharpened tip with an end surface lying at an angle θ relativeto the center line of the resilient contact probe 112B. A top view ofthe wafer contact end region 204 is depicted in FIG. 4C. The materialsfor forming the various components of resilient contact probe 112B andrepresentative dimensions thereof are the same as with the resilientcontact probe 112A of FIGS. 3A-3C.

Referring to FIG. 5A, an exemplary configuration for resilient contactprobe 112C is shown. Resilient contact probe 112C includes substantiallytubular body 302, which is preferably formed from a drawn or extrudedtube having a compression spring 312 dimensioned to fit therein in anintermediate region of resilient contact probe 112C. Preferably, thecompression spring 312 is not preloaded to help prevent distortion ofthe carrier 100. One end 313 of the compression spring 312 is retainedinside of the body 302 by roll crimping the wall of body 302 to formannular, crimped portion 304 that restrains the end 313 from being ableto be longitudinally displaced relative to the body 302 upon-compressionof the compression spring 312. The geometry of the body 302 is definedby a major diameter (D₁), a minor diameter (D₃), and a length (L₁ andL₃). As more clearly shown in FIG. 5B, the body 302 tapers down to anopening having a minor diameter (D₃) at one end thereof that a portionof a solid plunger body 308 disposed within body 302 extends through. Asdepicted in FIG. 5B, the plunger body 308 includes an enlarged stopperportion 309 and an elongated portion 310. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, thestopper portion 309 is shown received by the hollow interior of body 302with the elongated portion 310 extending therefrom a maximum length(L₂). The geometry of the elongated portion 310 is defined in part by agenerally conically shaped end portion 305 formed at an angle (θ_(tip))relative to a portion 303. The contact tip 306 having a radius (R_(tip))is sized and configured to contact the bond pads 120 of the wafer 118upon assembly therewith and application of the partial vacuum toassembly 134, as more fully described with reference to FIG. 1A. Thestopper portion 309, having a diameter greater than the minor diameter(D₃), prevents the plunger body 308 from being able to extend from thebody 302 more than a length (L₂) due to the interference of tapered end318 of the body 302 with the stopper portion 309. The plunger body 308is also displaceable inside the hollow interior of body 302 so that asurface of the stopper portion 309 may contact the free end of thecompression spring 312 upon displacement of plunger body 308 tolongitudinally compress the compression spring 312 and to create anelectrical path from the contact tip 306 to the opposing interface boardcontact end region 113. A top view of the plunger body 308 and thecontact tip 306 is shown in FIG. 5C.

With continued reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the body 302 of theresilient contact probe 112C further includes a ring 316 on theinterface board contact end region 113 thereof that is crimped or pressfit thereto. The ring 316 increases the diameter (D₁) of the body 302 toa diameter (D₂). The diameter (D₂) is sized greater than the diameter ofthe through hole 106 of the carrier body 102 and serves to retain theresilient contact probe 112C on the interface board side 110 of thecarrier body 102 upon insertion into the through hole 106. Thus, asurface 314 of the ring 316 abuts the interface board side 110. Theinterface board contact end region 113 is configured to contact theterminal pad 126 of the interface board 124 upon assembly with theinterface board 124 and application of the partial vacuum, as more fullydescribed with reference to FIG. 1A. A top view of the interface boardcontact end region 113 of the body 302 is illustrated in FIG. 5D.

By way of example, the compression spring 312 may be formed from acopper-beryllium alloy wire to have a spring rate of about 15 grams at0.25 mm deflection. Copper-beryllium is desirable as it exhibits a lowbulk resistance. Such wire is commercially available from Brush Welhmanand NGK. Stainless steel wire or music wire may also be used, but areless preferable as exhibiting a higher bulk resistance. The compressionspring 312 may also be coated with 20 to 50 micro inches of cobalthardened gold on top of a coating of 50 micro inches of nickel toincrease the electrical conductivity thereof. The body 302 may be formedfrom brass, the plunger body 308 may be formed from copper-berylliumalloys, steel, or tungsten, and the ring 312 may be formed from brass orcopper-beryllium alloys, each of which may be coated with hardened goldor another suitable conductive coating to increase the electricalconductivity thereof. Representative dimensions for the resilientcontact probe 112C illustrated in FIG. 5A are L₁=3.03 mm, L₂=0.50 mm,L₃=0.10 mm, D₁=0.42 mm, D₂=0.54 mm, D₃=0.24 mm, θ_(tip)=60°, andR_(tip)=0.05 mm.

Referring to FIG. 6A, another exemplary configuration for resilientcontact probe 112D is shown. Resilient contact probe 112D includessubstantially tubular body 402 preferably formed from a drawn orextruded tube having a compression spring 412 dimensioned to fit thereinin an intermediate region of contact probe 112D. Preferably, thecompression spring 412 is not preloaded to help prevent distortion ofthe carrier 100. One end 413 of the compression spring 412 is retainedinside of the body 402 by roll crimping the wall of body 402 to form anannular, crimped portion 404 that restrains the end 413 from being ableto be longitudinally displaced relative to the body 402 upon compressionof the compression spring 412. The geometry of the body 402 is definedby a major diameter (D₁), a minor diameter (D₂), and a length (L₁). Asmore clearly shown in FIG. 6B, the body 402 tapers down to an openinghaving a minor diameter (D₃) at one end thereof that a portion of asolid plunger body 408 disposed within body 402 extends through. Asdepicted in FIG. 6B, the plunger body 408 includes an enlarged stopperportion 409 and an elongated portion 410. In FIGS. 6A and 6B, thestopper portion 409 is shown received by the hollow interior of body 402with the elongated portion 410 extending therefrom a maximum length(L₂). The geometry of the elongated portion 410 is defined in part by agenerally conically shaped end portion 405 formed at an angle (θ_(tip))relative to a portion 403. A contact tip 406 having a radius (R_(tip))of the plunger body 408 is configured to contact the bond pads 120 ofthe wafer 118 upon assembly therewith and application of the partialvacuum, as more fully described with reference to FIG. 1A. The stopperportion 409, having a diameter greater than the minor diameter (D₃),prevents the plunger body 408 from being able to extend from the body402 more than a length (L₂) due to the interference of tapered end 418of the body 402 with the stopper portion 409. The plunger body 408 isalso displaceable inside the hollow interior of body 402 so that asurface of the stopper portion 409 may contact the free end of thecompression spring 412 upon displacement of plunger body 408 tolongitudinally compress the compression spring-412 and to create anelectrical path from the contact tip 406 to the opposing interface boardcontact end region 113. A top view of the plunger body 408 and contacttip 406 is shown in FIG. 6C.

With continued reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the body 402 of theresilient contact probe 112D further includes an end cap 416 on theinterface board contact end region 113 thereof that is crimped or pressfit thereto. The end cap 416 has an outer diameter (D₂) that is greaterthan the major diameter (D₁) of the body 402. The diameter (D₂) is sizedgreater than the diameter of the through hole 106 of the carrier body102 and serves to retain the resilient contact probe 112D on theinterface board side 110 of the carrier body 102 upon insertion into thethrough hole 106 of the carrier body 102. Thus, a surface 415 of the endcap 416 abuts the interface board side 110. The end cap 416 is alsoconfigured to contact the terminal pads 126 of the interface board 124upon assembly therewith and application of the partial vacuum as morefully described with reference to FIG. 1A. A top view of the interfaceboard contact end region 113 of the body 402 is illustrated in FIG. 6D.

By way of example, the compression spring 412 may be formed fromcopper-beryllium alloy wire to have a spring rate of about 15 grams at0.25 mm deflection. Copper-beryllium is desirable as it exhibits a lowbulk resistance. Such wire is commercially available from Brush Wellmanand NGK. Stainless steel wire or music wire may also be used, but areless preferable as exhibiting a higher bulk resistance. The compressionspring 412 may also be coated with 20 to 50 micro inches of cobalthardened gold on top of a coating of 50 micro inches of nickel toincrease the electrical conductivity thereof. The body 402 may be formedfrom brass, the plunger body 408 may be formed from copper-berylliumalloys, steel, or tungsten, and the end cap 416 may be formed from brassor copper-beryllium alloys, each of which may be coated with hardenedgold or another suitable conductive coating to increase the electricalconductivity thereof Representative dimensions for the resilient contactprobe 112D illustrated in FIG. 6A are L₁=3.03 mm, L₂=0.50 mm, L₃=0.38mm, D₁=0.42 mm, D₂=0.54 mm, D₃=0.24 mm, θ_(tip)=60°, and R_(tip)=0.05mm.

Referring to FIG. 7A, an exemplary configuration for resilient contactprobe 112E is shown. Resilient contact probe 112E includes substantiallytubular body 502 preferably formed from a drawn or extruded tube havinga compression spring 512 dimensioned to fit therein in an intermediateregion of contact probe 112E. Preferably, the compression spring 512 isnot preloaded to help prevent distortion of the carrier 100. A portionof the compression spring 512 proximate the interface board contact endregion 113 is retained inside of the body 502 by roll crimping the body502 to form an annular, crimped portion 504 that restrains a portion ofthe compression spring 512 from being able to be longitudinallydisplaced relative to the body 502 upon compression of the compressionspring 512. The geometry of the body 502 is defined by a major diameter(D₁), a minor diameter (D₃), and a length (L₁). As more clearly shown inFIG. 7B, the body 502 tapers down to an opening having a minor diameter(D₃) at one end thereof that a portion of a solid plunger body 508disposed within body 502 extends through. As depicted in FIG. 7B, theplunger body 508 includes an enlarged stopper portion 509 and anelongated portion 510. In FIG. 7B, a partial sectional view of theresilient contact probe 112E is shown with the stopper portion 509received by the hollow interior of body 502 and the elongated portion510 extending therefrom a maximum length (L₂). The geometry of theelongated portion 510 is defined in part by a generally conically shapedend portion 505 formed at an angle (θ_(tip)) relative to a portion 503.A contact tip 506 having a radius (R_(tip)) of plunger body 508 is sizedand configured to contact the bond pads 120 of the wafer 118 uponassembly therewith and application of the partial vacuum, as more fullydescribed with reference to FIG. 1A. The stopper portion 509, having adiameter greater than the minor diameter (D₃), prevents the plunger body508 from being able to extend from the body 502 more than a length (L₂)due to the interference of tapered end 518 of the body 502 with thestopper portion 509. The plunger body 508 is also displaceable insidethe hollow interior of body 502 so that a surface of the stopper portion509 may contact the free end of the compression spring 512 upondisplacement of plunger body 508 to longitudinally compress thecompression spring 512 and to create an electrical path from the contacttip 506 to the opposing interface board contact end region 113. A topview of the plunger body 508 and contact tip 506 is shown in FIG. 7C.

With continued reference to FIG. 7A, the compression spring 512 furtherincludes at least one coil 514 located outside of the body 502 that hasa diameter (D₂). The diameter (D₂) is greater than the diameter (D₁) ofthe body 502. The diameter (D₂) is sized greater than the diameter ofthe through hole 106 of the carrier body 102 and serves to retain theresilient contact probe 112E on the interface board side 110 of thecarrier body 102 upon insertion into the through hole 106 of the carrierbody 102. Thus, the at least one coil 514 abuts the interface board side110. The at least one coil 514 having a diameter (D₂) is also configuredto contact the terminal pads 126 of the interface board 124 uponassembly therewith and application of the partial vacuum, as more fullydescribed with reference to FIG. 1A. The resilient contact probe 112Emay also have a “pig tail” type coil at the interface contact end region113 having a contact tip 515 and a length (L₃) as shown in FIG. 7D. Theinterface contact end region 113 (i.e., the “pig tail”) may be identicalto that shown and described with respect to the resilient contact probe112A in FIGS. 3A-3C.

By way of example, the compression spring 512 may be formed fromcopper-beryllium alloy wire to have a spring rate of about 15 grams at0.25 mm deflection. Copper-beryllium is desirable as it exhibits a lowbulk resistance. Such wire is commercially available from Brush Wellmanand NGK. Stainless steel wire or music wire may also be used, but areless preferable as exhibiting a higher bulk resistance. The compressionspring 512 may also be coated with 20 to 50 micro inches of cobalthardened gold on top of a coating of 50 micro inches of nickel toincrease the electrical conductivity thereof. The body 502 may be formedfrom brass and the plunger body 508 may be formed from copper-berylliumalloys, steel, or tungsten, each of which may be coated with hardenedgold or another suitable conductive coating to increase the electricalconductivity thereof. Representative dimensions for the resilientcontact probe 112E illustrated in FIG. 7A are L₁=3.03 mm, L₂=0.50 mm,D₁=0.42 mm, D₂=0.54 mm, D₃=0.24 mm, θ_(tip)=60°, and R_(tip)=0.05 mm.

Although the foregoing description contains many specifics, these arenot to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, butmerely as providing certain exemplary embodiments. Similarly, otherembodiments of the invention may be devised which do not depart from thespirit or scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is,therefore, indicated and limited only by the appended claims and theirlegal equivalents, rather than by the foregoing description. Alladditions, deletions, and modifications to the invention, as disclosedherein, which fall within the meaning and scope of the claims areencompassed by the present invention.

1. A method of forming a resilient contact probe apparatus for making atemporary electrical connection with at least one electrical device,comprising: providing a carrier body extending substantially in a planeand having a first surface and an opposing second surface; forming aplurality of openings extending from the first surface to the secondsurface; and inserting a resilient contact probe into at least some ofthe plurality of openings of the carrier body, each of the resilientcontact probes comprising: a first end region including a first contactend, a second end region including a second contact end, and anintermediate region therebetween, wherein the first end region of eachof the resilient contact probes includes a portion comprising a firstlateral dimension greater than a second lateral dimension that definesat least a portion of the opening adjacent the first end region.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: selecting the carrier body to bea unitary carrier body.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:selecting the carrier body to be formed from an organic material, aceramic material, a glass material, or a silicon material.
 4. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: securing an interface board having acontact surface including a plurality of terminal pads thereon to thecarrier body, the contact surface opposing the first surface of thecarrier body; providing a seal element extending peripherally about thecarrier body and contacting the contact surface of the interface board;providing a substrate having a surface including a plurality ofelectrical contacts thereon to be received within at least a portion ofan interior region defined by the seal element, the surface of thesubstrate opposing the second surface of the carrier body; andcontacting the first contact end and the second contact end of at leastsome of the resilient contact probes to terminal pads of the interfaceboard and electrical contacts of the substrate.
 5. The method accordingto claim 4, wherein the contacting the first contact end and the secondcontact end of at least some of the resilient contact probes to terminalpads of the interface board and electrical contacts of the substratecomprises: providing a substantially planar chuck member having a vacuumport to contact a back surface of the substrate and a portion of theseal element; and applying at least a partial vacuum communicatedthrough the vacuum port to cause the first contact end and the secondcontact end of at least some of the resilient contact probes to be inelectrical communication with terminal pads of the interface board andelectrical contacts of the substrate.
 6. The method of claim 5, whereinthe applying the at least a partial vacuum causes the first contact endof at least some of the resilient contact probes to load terminal padsof the interface board to a greater degree than the second contact endloads electrical contacts of the substrate.
 7. The method of claim 5,wherein the applying the at least a partial vacuum causes the firstsurface of the carrier body to urge the first contact end of each of theresilient contact probes to contact terminal pads on the contact surfaceof the interface board and the second contact end of each of theresilient contact probes to contact electrical contacts on the surfaceof the substrate.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: forminga plurality of spacer elements disposed and located at predeterminedlocations on the second surface of the carrier body.
 9. The method ofclaim 4, further comprising: selecting the substrate to be asemiconductor substrate or a printed circuit board.
 10. A method offorming a resilient contact probe apparatus for making a temporaryelectrical connection with at least one electrical device, comprising:providing a carrier body extending substantially in a plane and having afirst surface, an opposing second surface, and a layer of compliantmaterial secured over the first surface of the carrier body; forming aplurality of openings extending from the first surface to the secondsurface of the carrier body and a plurality of apertures through thelayer of compliant material, each of the plurality of apertures alignedwith openings of the plurality of openings; and inserting a resilientcontact probe into at least some of the plurality of openings of thecarrier body and into apertures of the layer of compliant materialaligned therewith, each of the resilient contact probes comprising: afirst end region including a first contact end, a second end regionincluding a second contact end, and an intermediate region therebetween,wherein the first end region of each of the resilient contact probesincludes a portion comprising a first lateral dimension greater than asecond lateral dimension that defines at least a portion of the openingadjacent the first end region.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein theforming the plurality of openings and the plurality of apertures iseffected by drilling through the layer of compliant material and thecarrier body.
 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising: heatingthe carrier body including the layer of compliant material and theresilient contact probes to cause the compliant material of the layer tolaterally expand to engage the resilient contact probe passingtherethrough.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: selectingthe compliant material to comprise a resilient, nonconductive material.14. The method of claim 10, further comprising: selecting the layer ofcompliant material to comprise a silicone-based elastomer or afluorocarbon polymer.
 15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:selecting the carrier body to be a unitary carrier body.
 16. The methodof claim 10, further comprising: selecting a material for the carrierbody to be formed from an organic material, a ceramic material, a glassmaterial, or a silicon material.
 17. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising: securing an interface board having a contact surfaceincluding a plurality of terminal pads thereon to the carrier body, thecontact surface opposing the first surface of the carrier body;providing a seal element extending peripherally about the carrier bodyand contacting the contact surface of the interface board; providing asubstrate having a surface including a plurality of electrical contactsthereon to be received within at least a portion of an interior regiondefined by the seal element, the surface of the substrate opposing thesecond surface of the carrier body; and contacting the first contact endand the second contact end of at least some of the resilient contactprobes to terminal pads of the interface board and electrical contactsof the substrate.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein thecontacting the first contact end and the second contact end of at leastsome of the resilient contact probes to terminal pads of the interfaceboard and electrical contacts of the substrate comprises: providing asubstantially planar chuck member having a vacuum port to contact a backsurface of the substrate and a portion of the seal; and applying atleast a partial vacuum communicated through the vacuum port to cause thefirst contact end and the second contact end of at least some of theresilient contact probes to be in electrical communication with terminalpads of the interface board and electrical contacts of the substrate.19. The method of claim 18, wherein the applying the at least thepartial vacuum causes the first contact end of at least some of theresilient contact probes to load terminal pads of the interface board toa greater degree than the second contact end loads electrical contactsof the substrate.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the applying theat least the partial vacuum causes the first surface of the carrier bodyto urge the first contact end of each of the resilient contact probes tocontact terminal pads on the contact surface of the interface board andthe second contact end of each of the resilient contact probes tocontact electrical contacts on the surface of the substrate.
 21. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising: forming a plurality of spacerelements disposed and located at predetermined locations on the secondsurface of the carrier body.
 22. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising: selecting the substrate to be a semiconductor substrate or aprinted circuit board.
 23. A method of forming a resilient contact probeapparatus for making a temporary electrical connection with at least oneelectrical device, comprising: providing a carrier body extendingsubstantially in a plane and having a first surface, an opposing secondsurface, and a plurality of openings extending from the first surface tothe second surface; securing a layer of compliant material over thefirst surface of the carrier body; forming a plurality of aperturesthrough the layer of compliant material, each of the plurality ofapertures aligned with openings of the plurality of openings; andinserting a resilient contact probe into at least some of the pluralityof openings of the carrier body and apertures of the layer of compliantmaterial aligned therewith, each of the resilient contact probescomprising: a first end region including a first contact end, a secondend region including a second contact end, and an intermediate regiontherebetween, wherein the first end region of each of the resilientcontact probes includes a portion comprising a first lateral dimensiongreater than a second lateral dimension that defines at least a portionof the opening adjacent the first end region.
 24. The method of claim23, wherein the forming the plurality of apertures is effected bypiercing through the layer of compliant material.
 25. The method ofclaim 23, further comprising: heating the carrier body including thelayer of compliant material and the resilient contact probes to causethe compliant material of the layer to laterally expand to engage theresilient contact probe passing therethrough.
 26. The method of claim23, further comprising: selecting the compliant material to comprise aresilient, nonconductive material.
 27. The method of claim 23, furthercomprising: selecting the layer of compliant material to comprise asilicone-based elastomer or a fluorocarbon polymer.
 28. The method ofclaim 23, further comprising: selecting the carrier body to be a unitarycarrier body.
 29. The method of claim 23, further comprising: selectinga material for the carrier body to be formed from an organic material, aceramic material, a glass material, or a silicon material.
 30. Themethod of claim 23, further comprising: securing an interface boardhaving a contact surface including a plurality of terminal pads thereonto the carrier body, the contact surface opposing the first surface ofthe carrier body; providing a seal element extending peripherally aboutthe carrier body and contacting the contact surface of the interfaceboard; providing a substrate having a surface including a plurality ofelectrical contacts thereon to be received within at least a portion ofan interior region defined by the seal element, the surface of thesubstrate opposing the second surface of the carrier body; andcontacting the first contact end and the second contact end of at leastsome of the resilient contact probes to terminal pads of the interfaceboard and electrical contacts of the substrate.
 31. The method accordingto claim 30, wherein the contacting the first contact end and the secondcontact end of at least some of the resilient contact probes to terminalpads of the interface board and electrical contacts of the substratecomprises: providing a substantially planar chuck member having a vacuumport to contact a back surface of the substrate and a portion of theseal element; and applying at least a partial vacuum communicatedthrough the vacuum port to use the first contact end and the secondcontact end of at least some of the resilient contact probes to be inelectrical communication with terminal pads of the interface board andelectrical contacts of the substrate.
 32. The method of claim 31,wherein the applying the at least the partial vacuum causes the firstcontact end of at least some of the resilient contact probes to loadterminal pads of the interface board to a greater degree than the secondcontact end loads electrical contacts of the substrate.
 33. The methodof claim 31, wherein the applying the at least the partial vacuum causesthe first surface of the carrier body to urge the first contact end ofeach of the resilient contact probes to contact terminal pads on thecontact surface of the interface board and the second contact end ofeach of the resilient contact probes to contact electrical contacts onthe surface of the substrate.
 34. The method of claim 23, furthercomprising: forming a plurality of spacer elements disposed and locatedat predetermined locations on the second surface of the carrier body.35. The method of claim 30, further comprising: selecting the substrateto be a semiconductor substrate or a printed circuit board.
 36. Aresilient contact probe comprising: a first end region, a second endregion, and an intermediate region therebetween, the intermediate regioncomprising a compression spring having an active, longitudinallycompressible portion, wherein at least a portion of the first end regionincludes a lateral dimension greater than a diameter of the active,longitudinally compressible portion.
 37. The resilient contact probe ofclaim 36, wherein the compression spring comprises a dead, substantiallyincompressible portion within the intermediate region and proximate thesecond end region.
 38. The resilient contact probe of claim 36, whereinthe first end region comprises at least one coil having the lateraldimension greater than the diameter of the active, longitudinallycompressible portion.
 39. The resilient contact probe of claim 38,wherein the first end region further comprises a pigtail extendingdistally from the at least one coil.
 40. The resilient contact probe ofclaim 36, further comprising: a substantially tubular housing at leastpartially enclosing the compression spring and secured to a portionthereof adjacent the first end region, the lateral dimension of thefirst end region greater than a diameter of the housing; and a plungerbody comprising a stopper portion received within the housing and acontact tip portion extending longitudinally beyond the housing, theplunger body longitudinally biased by a portion of the compressionspring and adjacent a portion thereof remote from the first end region.41. The resilient contact probe of claim 40, wherein the housingcomprises: an annular, crimped portion that bears against a portion ofthe compression spring adjacent the first end region.
 42. The resilientcontact probe of claim 40, further comprising: an end cap secured to anend of the housing proximate the first end region.
 43. The resilientcontact probe of claim 40, further comprising: an annular ring extendingperipherally about the housing and secured to an outer surface thereofproximate the first end region.
 44. The resilient contact probe of claim40, wherein the first end region comprises at least one coil locatedoutside of the housing, the at least one coil having a lateral extentgreater than the diameter of the housing.
 45. The resilient contactprobe of claim 44, wherein the first end region further comprises apigtail extending distally from the at least one coil.